Injuries have piled up, and the grind of the season has already taken its toll on the Bishop Diego football team.
Visiting Lancaster exploded offensively, and the Cardinals could not keep pace in a 50-34 non-league loss on Thursday night at La Playa Stadium.
“They are somewhat unique with the size of the line splits and the way they do their reads and so forth. Their coaches do a great job putting defenders in conflict,” said Bishop Diego coach Tom Crawford. “We knew it was going to be tough just watching the two games we had. Last year, we squeaked by them, but it was still 42-40, so they clearly have athletes and the ability to put a ton of points on the board.”
Lancaster senior quarterback Aidan Howell and junior wide receiver Terrance Harper connected early and often, beginning with a 24-yard touchdown strike that put the visiting Eagles ahead 6-0. Lancaster went for two after every touchdown and attempted an onside kick on every ensuing kickoff.
“We don’t get a lot of publicity out there in the area we’re from, but he’s one guy right now that a lot of colleges, recruiters, and all those rating systems need to take note of,” said Lancaster coach Jermaine Lewis of Harper, who scored three touchdowns and eclipsed 150 receiving yards against Bishop Diego. “He’s definitely a star, and he might have a record-breaking season this year.”
After a quick Bishop Diego three-and-out, Lancaster increased its lead to 14-0 on a four-yard touchdown run with 3:31 remaining in the first quarter.
The Cardinals finally got on the board at the 7:03 mark of the second quarter when sophomore quarterback Kaleo Satele connected with senior wide receiver Remi Boykin on a 37-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Bishop Diego deficit to 14-7. However, Boykin reaggravated an injury shortly thereafter and did not return for the second half.
Bishop Diego was without several key players, including standout running back/linebacker Sam Boedekker, tight end/defensive end Jeremiah Mercier, senior wide receiver Mavaega Luvu, and George Guzman, among others.
“There’s a bit of a domino effect, and it’s exacerbated when you are asking a lot of these guys to play so much on both sides,” said Crawford of the rash of injuries his team has endured. “Every team is going to face some sort of adversity with injuries and so forth. You count on guys to be able to adjust.”
The Eagles regained control after a 62-yard strike from Howell to Ethen Hutcherson with 5:56 remaining in the second quarter. Less than two minutes later, they added a 25-yard touchdown pass from Howell to Harper to take a 28-7 lead.
Nate Hernandez gave Bishop Diego a spark in the running game with a 43-yard touchdown run that cut the Cardinals’ deficit to 28-13, but the ensuing extra point was blocked.
Lancaster responded with a two-play drive capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass from Howell to Harper.
The scoring flurry concluded with a 19-yard touchdown run by Hernandez with 51 seconds remaining in the first half. Satele connected with Gabe Phillips on a two-point conversion to make the score 36-21 at halftime.
After a surprisingly scoreless third quarter, Lancaster put the game away with an eight-yard touchdown run by Gavonte Coleman at the 11:06 mark of the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 44-21.
The Cardinals tacked on two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 24-yard touchdown pass from Satele to Joel Sanchez and a two-yard touchdown run by Connor Boyd with under a minute remaining.
Bishop Diego (2-1) will travel to St. Francis next Friday for another non-league contest.
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